Born with the fire within, burning bright
by Adara's Rose
Summary: Katara is rather desperate to get Zuko to sign his name on the peace treaty, but he refuses unless she gives him Sokka's hand in marriage. She thinks it is only a way for Zuko to once more grind her beneath his heel, but can there be more to the proposal than political intrigue?
1. Chapter 1

After the end of what would go down in history as the Avatar Wars, that had ended with the sound defeat of the Fire Nation and the celebration of the return of the Avatar, there had to be peace talks. It did not matter that there was a new king in the Fire Nation, or that everyone was completely done with everything even remotely considered a bit of a spat, never mind war. There had to be peace talks. And official documents, signed by the rulers of all nations.

Therefore, King Zuko of the Fire Nation and Queen Katara of the Water Nation (who was still looking around in bewilderment whenever someone addressed her as 'your majesty') met on a tiny Earth Nation island more or less in the middle of nowhere, of no interest to anyone except for the monks and sheep who lived there. On the middle of the island there was a temple to a God whose name nobody remembered apart from the monks, (but they had taken vows of silence and thus were not telling), and in that temple a table had been set up for the King and Queen to sit and talk. Well, they were referred to as peace talks, but there wasn't really much in the way of peace in the chamber within which they were held. There should have been four of them, really, but nobody would ever dream of attempting to negotiate with the representative of the Air Nation due to him being the Avatar. King Bumi of Earth Nation had sent his excuses, but due to a nasty case of dementia he was unable to attend. That left Katara alone to navigate through the minefield disguised as diplomacy. Without a map, but with an excellent blindfold.

Queen Katara of Water Nation, for the day dressed in a blue silk gown embroidered in silver and expensive enough to feed the entire South Pole Tribe for a week, crossed her arms and scowled at Zuko. The crossing of her arms were highly effective, as she caused quite a racket with the gesture. This was due to the fact that she was bogged down with enough sapphires and pearls to make her jingle like a well-stuffed coin purse every time she moved. She felt ridiculous in her get-up, but there was no reasoning with her ladies in waiting when they got a chance to show off their queen. And she had _tried._

Katara's scowl was of the sort that would have made a lesser man wet his pants and cry for his mother, but Zuko merely leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow in a haughty manner. As if that was not bad enough, he then proceeded in leaning back in his high-backed chair like a fairy tale king on a exceptionally comfortable settee. He was dressed in dark trousers that fit his body as if painted on, heavy black boots that whispered of their suitability for battle, and a shirt as red as a burning house. The shirt was made in some sort of soft, slinky fabric that seemed to ripple like water when he moved, and moulded itself to his well defined muscles. On his smooth head, the heavy fire nation crown glinted with gold and rubies. He looked like a tyrant of old about to reprimand a refracting liege. It gave Katara the urge to force him to eat his quill.

Bad enough that he made her bend to his will with his short temper, and his constant demands for breaks during which he stalked out of the chamber like a primadonna displeased with the brand of champagne and insisting the florist had delivered the wrong coloured roses. Now he was refusing to sign the treaty!

"What's wrong with it?" Katara finally asked in an exasperated tone, gesturing - and jingling - to the document she had already signed. The day was warm, the hour was late, and Katara was more than ready to take off her elegant, impractical shoes and get trashed by Toph while playing dice. Preferably while drinking a gallon of that sweet, cold tea the monks refused to give her the recipe to.

"I refuse to sign it." Zuko replied in a blunt tone as he wiped at the beads of sweat shining on his brow. Katara gaped at him in shock.

"Are you telling me," she said incredulously, "that you refuse to sign the peace treaty we've spent two weeks perfecting down to the smallest of details? Why not, for the avatar's sake?" Once again her fingers twitched with the urge to make the wine in the goblet by his left elbow jump up and pour itself over his head. It was an urge she had felt many times in the last few days.

"There is a condition that must be met before I will sign." Zuko said, a small smirk twisting his face as he fanned himself with an elegant ostrich feather fan that probably cost as much as Katara's shoes.

"And what is that?" Katara replied, exasperated.

"I will sign it right before I marry Sokka. No wedding, no treaty. The decision is yours, your Majesty." Katara's hands clenched beneath her ornate sleeves. How _dared_ he demand her brother like a- a piece of meat?! But he had her by her proverbial throat, and they both knew it. The Fire Nation still, even after all the battles in the last few years, had the greatest army. In its' harbours, there were hundreds upon hundreds of ships whom at a moment's notice could be filled with thousands upon thousands of firebenders, ready to do battle. The water nation could not stand against another assault of such magnitude. Neither could what was left of the once proud earth nation. They were grovelling before Zuko's feet, and both she and King Bumi knew this. What he wanted, they had no choice but to wrap up, tie a nice bow on, and hand over with congratulations. Probably while singing his praises.

"I will need to think about this." Katara said, although they both knew that she was stalling for time.

"Of course" Zuko replied grandly. He could afford to be grand; he had won. "Shall we meet again tomorrow, just after lunch? I am needed for some bending instruction in the morning, I'm afraid." She saw the threat for just what it was; a threat. He had brought one hundred firebenders to this meeting. She had only the bare minimum of soldiers. And out of those, only she could bend with any skill. If the Fire King wanted to, he could kill them all and she would be helpless to stop it.

"Of course, your Majesty." She curtsied, and quickly left the temple. She had several copies of the treaty in her room, so she saw no reason to take it with her. She pretended not to see the smug look in his dark eyes, and kept her head high as she left. _I am a queen,_ she reminded herself sternly. _I do_ not _scurry like a commoner._

* * *

"Polar bears eat that bastard!" Katara shrieked as she threw her crown in the general direction of a very beautiful ornate vase. She missed by several feet, but her point got across. She flung herself onto the nearest sofa, scowling.

"What is it this time?" Aang asked from where he was lounging by the drinking fountain with a glass of that delicious sweet tea in his hand. He was dressed in a loose, flowy robe of the kind the local monks wore, and with his lazy pose he gave the impression of having spent a glorious day having done absolutely nothing. Katara felt more than a little envious, for this was not the first time during their stay that she stormed in and threw her crown at something. Usually fuming over some sort of allowance Zuko had pressured her into making.

Katara kicked off her shoes, barely noticing the relief in her toes as she seethed. Then she opened her mouth and let out a pretty decent imitation of a pissed off banshee.

"That egocentric, uptight, snooty, haughty, self-obsessed _madman_ won't sign the treaty!"

Aang looked confused.

"The treaty you've worked on for two weeks? Why not?"

"He says he won't sign it unless I agree to let him marry Sokka!" Katara shrieked, sounding even more like a banshee.

"I'm sorry" Aang said as he slowly put down his glass. "Did you say he wants to marry Sokka?"

"Yes, I said that!" Katara scowled at him, but Aang was used to her scowling at this point and was about as intimidated as Zuko had been. That was, not at all.

"I thought he preferred women" was his only comment. Katara tried her glare again.

"Aang, you are not helping!"

"Sorry" he actually sounded apologetic, too. "What are you planning to do?"

Katara groaned in despair, her anger draining out of her like the water from a badly dug well.

"Well, that's the crack in the ice, isn't it?" She asked, as she looked up at the ceiling, stretching her aching neck. Then she looked over at Aang.

"Please tell me there is more of that tea" she begged, "I'm too parched to think."


	2. Chapter 2

To be fair, Sokka had not been as angry with her as Katara had anticipated. He had actually turned out to be about twice as cross as she had expected when she told him about his upcoming nuptials. After having ranted at her for five minutes straight about how she needed to grow a backbone and tell Zuko to go boil his head, he had stormed out of the room they shared, slamming the door so hard the windows had shook. Katara had been left behind in tears. That had _never_ happened before; Sokka had always, for as long as either of them could remember, comforted her when she cried.

Sokka had slowed down considerably since then, and even though he was still fuming he was walking at a slow pace along the water, throwing stones and trying to make them skip. He really, really wanted to kill something but the only available target were a couple of sheep bleating on a small patch of grass, and he had a feeling it would not be appreciated if he went for them. Sheep tending monks tend to be protective of their flocks. And they are usually highly skilled with their quarter staffs.

Married! They expected him to marry Zuko, of all people! In fact, just this morning Katara had agreed to the condition and apparently Zuko's name was now on the peace treaty next to hers. And all this without as much as informing him until it was done! He glared at the sheep, peacefully grazing just a few feet away. It simply wasn't fair that there were creatures so calm and content when his world had just been turned on it's axis. He picked up another small stone, weighed it in his hand, and then threw it with all his might. It landed smack dab in the middle of the grass, and it was with grim satisfaction Sokka watched the sheep flee in terror.

After the sheep had vanished beyond the horizon, Sokka sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. Could he truly fault Katara for her acquiescence? If the roles had been reversed, he would have handed her over to Zuko without hesitation. So how could he blame her for making that decision? If Zuko decided that her refusal was a slight and declared war, he could wipe out the entire water nation. It wasn't as if Katara had had much of a choice in the matter. All that was left now, was for him to fulfill Katara's end of the bargain. He really wanted to be angry with her.

* * *

Zuko was currently causing Ty Lee, his shield woman, a headache merely from being in his presence. She squinted her eyes as she emptied another bucket of ice over his head, doing her best to ignore how the pieces almost immediately melted and the cool water ran over his back and torso. Ty Lee really liked her king, but sometimes he grated on her nerves. Like right now, when the Ner Tamid - the fire in the blood - rode his body so intensely that water immediately evaporated when coming into contact with his scorching hot skin. Not even ice seemed to help the way it usually did.

As if he had sensed her frustration, Zuko turned his head just enough to be able to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm lucky to have you as my shield woman, Ty Lee" he said tiredly and she forgot why she was upset.

She had been loyal to Zuko since she was a little girl, following him around as soon as she was out of diapers. He had tolerated her adoration with reluctance, even when Azula mocked him incessantly. His patience had later been repaid in spades.

It was Ty Lee who had discovered the conspiracy to trick Zuko into marrying Mai and father a child with her, after which the woman would murder Zuko in his sleep and take Azula for her consort. That way, Azula would be the ruler of the fire nation, have an heir and still be able to have Mai. The two women had thought it the perfect plan, but they had made a mistake when they chose to confide in Ty Lee. The moment she was clear on what they planned to do to her King, she had gone straight to Zuko and turned them in. As her reward, Zuko had not only allowed her to be the one to execute the two women (she still felt a fierce satisfaction when remembering the feeling of her sword severing the necks of ones she had once called friends), but Zuko had named her his shield woman. It was the finest title a woman in the fire nation could receive. It meant that she was known and revered as the finest warrior in all of fire nation, second only to Zuko himself. Unfortunately, it also meant that she served as his bodyguard and general dogsbody. Normally she didn't mind - Zuko had servants galore and would never dream of demeaning her by making her do something they could do - but right now she did.

The bathing chamber was so full of hot steam that had she not been a fire bender herself her skin would have been blistering. Zuko lay slouched down and half unconscious in the tub, his body shuddering as wave after wave of blistering heat came off it. She had already dumped six buckets of ice over him, but she was going to need more. A lot more.

* * *

"Aaand I win again" Toph said smugly as the dice clattered onto the square Katara had drawn in the sand to serve as their gaming area. "What's got you so distracted?"

Katara groaned.

"I had to agree to let Zuko take Sokka for his consort to make him agree to the peace treaty. That was yesterday and he still isn't talking to me." She said morosely.

"He'll get over it" was Toph's sardonic reply and Katara fervently hoped the earth bender was right.

"Is it going to be a traditional fire nation wedding?" Toph asked as she picked up the dice and rolled them in her hands.

"Traditional?" Katara repeated, confused. Once more she cursed the fact that she had only been queen for a little under a year; there was so much she still did not know.

"Yes, traditional. With a coupling."

"I don't know" Katara admitted, "but if I know Zuko, he is going to take every chance to rub his victory in my face. So it is highly likely." She blinked in confusion at the other woman as Toph broke into peals of laughter.

"Oh Katara!" she chortled once she finally got a hold of herself, "you are in for a treat!" then she was once again laughing so hard she couldn't speak for it. Katara waited with rapidly shrinking patience for Toph to get a grip of herself and explain what the devil she meant. Unfortunately, Toph didn't seem to be done laughing even when Katara had waited for what had seemed like an eternity.

"Oh, you are of no use!" She muttered crossly, stood up and stomped off to find someone who would be of use.

* * *

Notes: Ner Tamid: hebrew for "eternal flame" (Exodus 27:20)


	3. Chapter 3

Jet went into hysterics the moment the word 'coupling' came out of Katara's mouth, but unlike Toph he managed to calm down enough to actually speak reasonably quickly. She only had to kick him in the shin twice.

"Sorry, sorry" he wheezed as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "it's just… you really have no idea!" he snorted again, and Katara scowled at him. She had a very good scowl if she said so herself, but it was only slightly successful on Jet. He was still grinning as he sat her down on the little bench under the cherry blossom tree and started to explain.

"It's like this" he said, "a traditional fire nation wedding has three parts. First, there is the wedding breakfast, exactly what it sounds like. Second, you have a ceremony at the nearest temple, open for anyone the happy couple want to invite to share their happiness. This is the same in all kingdoms, except most of us have the ceremony first." Katara nodded, feeling secure in knowing what in the blazes was going on for once instead of faking it like she usually did.

"Then" Jet went on and allowed a chortle to escape his lips, "fire nation have something unique for them. It is referred to as the coupling, and what it entails is that a set number of witnesses - usually four, two from each family, representing the four elements - watch as the happy couple solidify their union." Katara had a horrible suspicion.

"You mean-" she whimpered in distress.

"Yes" Jet said, trying for sympathetic but only coming of as amused, "the witnesses watch the newlyweds have sex. And since you are the queen of the water nation and we are talking about the fire king's wedding to your brother, you are going to be chosen as a witness." Katara whimpered again, a little more desperate this time.

"There there" Jet said soothingly and patted her hand, "I saw Zuko bathing once. He's got a body most guys would kill for. There'll be plenty to feast your eyes on."

Katara whimpered for a third time. Then she thought better of it and started hyperventilating instead.

* * *

The sheets on Zuko's bed were soaked with sweat and clinging to his shuddering body, but Ty Lee made no attempt to change them. She had already changed the sheets three times in two hours. Now she just sat by his bedside, sweated, cursed mentally and waved a big fan at him in the vague hope it would cool him down a little. Every now and then, a tortured groan would slip past his bitten and chafed lips, pleas for anything that was cold, be it water or air or a blade pressed to his throat.

It broke her heart that she couldn't help him. He needed his nichoach - his soother - and the sooner, the better. At this point she wasn't expecting him to last the month. Pretending to be fine in front of the Water Nation Queen every day was taking more out of him than she had expected, and the illness had been progressing rapidly ever since they started the negotiations.

It wasn't the first time she had seen Zuko suffer from the Ner Tamid, of course. The first time he had become its victim Ty Lee had been four years old, terrified at seeing the then six year old Zuko being immersed in a tub full of ice that hissed and melted when coming into contact with his skin. She remembered how she had been inconsolable for days until the prince was well enough to be allowed outside again.

Ty Lee's arms were beginning to ache, but she kept fanning him. Mostly because she felt helpless and needed to do something.

A hand on her shoulder made her startle so suddenly that she dropped the fan and it clattered to the floor. Zuko only moaned weakly, not opening his eyes. She could see beads of liquid slid from under the tightly shut lids but was in no position to determine if it was sweat or tears.

"How is he?" Iroh murmured softly as he stroked Ty Lees back in silent comfort.

"Not good" she replied, leaning down to pick up the fan. "Maybe if we took him to the Pole-" her voice was hopeless. They'd never make the journey in time before Zuko burst into flames, like a phoenix. But unlike the phoenix, he would not rise from the ashes.

"Do not fret, child" Iroh said, his tone of voice never changing even as she bristled at being called 'child'. "In two days time, Zuko will take the water nation prince for his consort and all will be well."

"You don't know that" Ty Lee protested, but she still hoped with a fervour as intense as the fire in her own soul that he was right.

"But I do, child. Trust me."

And, flames preserve both her and her king, but she did.

* * *

Zuko may lay in an apparent stupor only barely aware of the world around him, but that didn't mean his mind lay idle. In fact, he was rather pleased with himself at having gotten exactly what he wanted from Katara without having to use too many extortion tactics or threats of annihilation. Soon, he would have that infuriating water tribe boy writhing under him in their coupling bed. He would get to see those eyes that had haunted him for over two years wide and glazed with desire and pleasure as Sokka's long legs wrapped around his waist.

He was fixated on the boy, even if he had managed to hide the fact from everyone but his uncle and his shield maiden. A fine bronze shield made him think of sun-kissed skin. A sharp weapon brought grey eyes to the forefront of his mind. Food turned to ash in his mouth and he found himself restless, irritated, and easier to infuriate than usual. He could not sleep. Not eat. At times he could not even think. All he knew was aware of at those times was Sokka's absence. The fever was boiling in his blood and it was demanding to be soothed, to lie close to the one who was his, his nichoach, his love. Because he did love Sokka. It was an intense, wild, undeterred love that threatened to burst out of every pore and soon it would be as impossible to contain as the fire.

He had to have the man with eyes that scorched his soul.

* * *

Notes:

nichoach: hebrew for "soothing" (biblehub dot com)


	4. Chapter 4

Iroh smiled benevolently, and Sokka immediately felt intensely uncomfortable.

"Ah, Sokka, excellent. Tea?"

It was phrased as a question, but the look in Iroh's eyes left no room for refusal.

"Yes, please" Sokka replied reluctantly as he sat down on a slender iron chair on the veranda. Iron leaned over the little table and handed him a cup full of a steaming dark brew that smelled faintly of citrus.

"I have come to understand that you are soon to be my son-in-law" Iroh said in a cheery tone as he chose a small cake with blue icing, topped with a delicate white flower made from spun sugar.

"Thanks for the reminder" Sokka muttered as he stirred honey into the tea. Not as if he had spent the past few days trying desperately to forget about it or anything.

"Hmm" Iroh said, now sounding thoughtful.

None of them said anything for several minutes, the silence only interrupted by the clinking of spoons against elegant bone china and the occasional slurp as sokka drank the tea. It was a deep, rich, spicy flavor that he found that he liked. Probably fire nation tea; they did not have such things in the water nation as far as he knew. He helped himself to the little iced cakes as well, finding that they were deliciously light and sweet. Probably to complement the tea, he figured.

After having refilled his cup for the third time, Iroh seemed to think it was time to start the conversation back up.

"I know you are not pleased about this" he said and Sokka snorted in derision. That was the understatement of the age! Iroh went on, as if he hadn't head Sokka's little protest:

"You must understand, Sokka, that it is absolutely necessary."

"Why is it necessary that I marry Zuko?" Sokka said petulantly as he sat his teacup down a little to hard on the saucer. A fine crack immediately appeared in the glaze. "Can't he have someone else?"

"No. It has to be you."

"But _why?"_ Sokka cringed at the whiny tone in his voice.

"Because without you, my nephew will die." Iroh said bluntly.

* * *

Zuko stood in the cold water just north of the island, shaking with heat from the fire burning within. He had waded in up to his waist, but even though Ty Lee insisted it was frigid it did not help at all to calm the roaring inferno just under his skin. Indeed, the water coming into contact with his body immediately boiled away into steam, shrouding the immediate area in a fine grey mist.

"Please come up your majesty" Ty Lee called from where she stood on the beach, wrapped up in a thick coat and shivering in the cold night wind. Zuko made a face.

"Get over here and I'll warm you up" he called and if it wasn't for the fact that she could see beads of sweat gleaming on his bare torso she would have taken it for his usual teasing. Now it just made her even more worried. Zuko was one of the strongest fire benders she knew, but that only made the Ner Tamid burn hotter within him. If he did not find his nichoach soon… She didn't want to think about that. Ever.

She dipped one of her bare toes into the sea and jumped back with a shriek as the water immediately chilled her skin.

"Nope!" she cried back. "Nope, nope, nope, nope!"

"Coward!" He yelled and waded in a bit further, now up to his chest.

"Yes!" she called, "in this instance!" He made a rude gesture, but otherwise seemed to ignore her. The steam was growing hotter around them, and Ty Lee started to wonder if she was going to have to send someone to fetch an ice bucket or twenty.

"It's not going to help, your majesty!" She cried desperately. "Come up and I'll get you an ice bath!" She was reasonably sure that Zuko rolled his eyes, but she couldn't see him through the steam.

"Last time we tried that it evaporated before I'd gotten fully in the tub!" he yelled.

"Yes but you hadn't spent an hour in the cold sea then! You have now!" She felt reasonably confident that she could hear him mutter a curse, but then she felt relieved at hearing the noise she connected to him wading back towards the shore.

When he stood in front of her he was still sweating, his skin pink from the heat, but not as badly as before she'd dragged him to the beach. The heat rolling of him in waves was still enough to make her take a step back.

"Ice bath" she said grimly, "preferably two, if we can find enough ice." He wobbled precariously and she instinctively dove forward to support him, even though touching him felt like sticking her hand into a brazier.

"Of course we can" Zuko said haughtily even as he sagged against her shoulder. "I am the King of Fire Nation. If I want ice, they'll give me ice."

* * *

Sokka laid awake, staring at the ceiling and listening to his sister's deep, even breaths from the bed on the other side of the room. He still didn't know what to say to her, hell he didn't even know what to think. It wasn't very fair of Iroh to dump this into his lap, he thought snidely. "Without you, Zuko will die" Iroh had said, and for a moment Sokka felt like letting the jerk die. Except, not really.

He rolled over, punching his pillow in frustration. This wasn't fair! He had plans, curse it! He was going to find a nice girl, settle down, have a couple of kids… not become royal consort to the King of the Fire Nation!

Then again, being royal consort didn't sound so bad. A big palace, fancy food, getting to laze around all day, have sex with Zuko each night… he sat up, startled. Since when did he want to have sex with Zuko? The guy was rude, cranky, obsessed, intimidating… intense, passionate, loyal, intelligent… Sokka shook his head determinedly. No way was he attracted to that scarred, bald… freak! He had yellow eyes for pity's sake! Who even had that!?

Not that they were yellow, not really. They were more like a deep, rich amber, or the bright light of a freshly lit candle. And the scar only accentuated the elegant nose, the full, lush mouth, the…

Sokka felt back against the pillow again, groaning. Okay, so he wanted to bang Zuko. Big deal. Anyone with eyes in their head and a smidgen of ambition wanted to bang Zuko. That didn't mean he wanted to marry him!

Except Katara had given her word that he would.

Damn it.


	5. Chapter 5

Sokka scowled at his reflection and Katara looked like she was about to start crying. He immediately felt horrible; she had been crying more or less the entire week since she had made the deal with Zuko about his marriage. He took one last, displeased look at himself and turned to his sister.

Confronted with Katara's wobbly lower lip, he forgot all about his righteous, indignant tirade that he was about to release on her and instead held out his arms to her. Katara sobbed once and then ran across the room, throwing himself into his arms and blubbering about how she was sorry and could he ever forgive her and if she could take it all back until Sokka was glad he wasn't wearing a shirt because her make-up would have ruined it. Her crown was askew and her face blotchy when she finally seemed to have run out of tears.

"I'm sorry" she whispered into his chest, her shoulders shuddering. "If I could-"

"I know" he said, feeling impossibly gentle. This was his lil sis, after all. He had never been able to be cross with her for long even when he had reason to. "It's going to be okay, Kat" he soothed, trying his best to believe it.

She looked up, her eyes still brimming with tears.

"Really?" she whispered.

"Yes, really."

"I'm going to miss you" she said miserably.

"Gonna miss you too. But hey, we can write. And you can force Aang to let you borrow Appa for visits whenever you want." She actually smiled at that, even if it was very shaky. He smiled back, doing his best to inspire confidence as he adjusted her crown. She took a step back, wiping at her eyes and ruined kohl.

"Sorry about the meltdown" she said, embarrassed.

"It's okay."

Sokka turned back to the mirror and used a spare towel to wipe his chest clean of the evidence of Katara's little scene. He was wearing a mix of traditional fire nation and water nation wedding clothing; he wore a polar bear fur kilt and heavy fur boots, plus dark leather leggings. The leggings were painted with runes of _power, magic, speed, warmth, protection, life, love_ and _hope_ , all of them done in Katara's loving hand beneath the previous night's full moon. His torso and arms were bare as a nod to the nation he would soon belong to. His arms and chest were covered in stylized flames and intricate runes, painted on with a dark red paint that smelled of sulphur and had itched terribly as it was applied. Now, it only strained a little as he moved. Luckily the paint was waterproof, so Katara's tears and his subsequent wiping had not even smudged the runes. Sokka wondered what Zuko would think of him in this garb. Hopefully he wouldn't find him _totally_ repulsive even if he was tall and gangly and awkward.

Katara came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.

"You look amazing" she said and this time her smile seemed genuine. "Zuko's not gonna know what hit him."

"Thanks" Sokka snorted with laughter and felt the reassuring trembles of Katara's body as she dissolved into giggles.

* * *

Zuko was a king, and kings do not gawk like horny schoolboys. Therefore he had to settle for smouldering as Sokka came towards him where he stood waiting by the altar in the temple having been chosen for the ceremonial part of the wedding. The sun's rays caressed soft caramel skin, emphasised by the runes Ty Lee had painstakingly painted on with the traditional paint. Over Sokka's chest were symbols of passion, love, desire and fertility. On his shoulders Ty Lee had painted strength, power, endurance and prowess. On his side, Zuko could just see friendship, companionship and family as the other man moved. By the flames, his consort-to-be was stunning.

A different sort of heat than the one who plagued him these days throbbed deep within his molten core. He wanted to trace each of those runes with his tongue, bathe the smooth skin with his tongue, taste Sokka from his head to his feet to find where he tasted sweetest. Wanted to -

Iroh coughed politely, drawing Zuko back to himself with a start. Sokka was standing next to him now, eyebrow raised in expectancy. Oh, right. They were supposed to get married. He felt suddenly nervous as he took Sokka's hand, gasping as cool fingers wrapped around his own, immediately soothing the firebeast inside. It was true, then. Sokka was his nichoach, like Iroh had told him over and over again during the journey and every day since their arrival.

* * *

Sokka had no idea what Aang said as he stood before them on a small dais, but it was probably very pompous and important. He said his 'I do's and 'I will's and 'I swear's where he was supposed to - just like he had practiced with Katara - but other than that, he was only truly aware of the feel of Zuko's skin against his own. The heat coming from the other man in waves made his own cold blood heat up, a flush rising to his skin as he imagined that skin - and that heat - pressing against his entire body. He wanted that. Preferably immediately. The thought of the coupling bed suddenly felt a lot more appealing. Then suddenly, just as he was trying to get a grip on his increasing arousal, Aang made the gesture with his hand that Sokka knew to be an old blessing, and it was over. Zuko leaned in for a kiss, and any grip Sokka might have had on anything went out the proverbial window.

Zuko's lips were chafed, but surprisingly soft as they pressed against his in a chaste kiss. However, Sokka was having none of that and put his arms around his husband's waist and pulled him close, sinking his tongue deep into the Fire Nation King's mouth. There as a moan, but he did not know where it came from. It did not matter as Zuko's hands found their way onto his body; one burying itself in his hair, the other clutching at his ass. Zuko's tongue twined around his own with a passion that was both intimidating and exhilarating, making the whole world vanish in a maelstrom of fire.

Smirking, Ty Lee turned to a blushing Katara.

"Do you think we should break them apart?" She whispered loudly. Katara shook her head, to embarrassed to answer. Aang, however had overheard and glared fiercely at her.

"Try it, fire bender, and I'll bury you alive" he swore.

Ty Lee just laughed and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Bring it, fly boy."

* * *

The passion that had been awakened in Sokka had taken Zuko by surprise, but when his new husband undressed him with his eyes as they were escorted to the coupling chamber he felt no need for alarm. Instead, he accepted the ornamental goblet from Ty Lee, drinking deeply from its contents before passing it to Sokka. He was met by a puzzled frown, but then the water warrior shrugged and drained the rest. Handing the cup back, Zuko barely had time to say 'thank you' before Sokka was on him like a ravenous incubus, claiming his mouth in a bruising kiss. Zuko felt light-headed, but the fire that had made Ty Lee bathe him in three tubs full of ice that same morning, ensuring that he had melted - and mostly evaporated - the waters of all of them before letting him up, calmed more and more as his clothes fell to the floor. The majority of the guests discreetly slipped away while this happened, finally leaving only five people to represent the nations and to witness the coupling: Aang (serving as both the avatar and representative of the air nation) Ty Lee (fire nation), Queen Katara (water nation), and Jet (earth nation). Finally, there was Iroh, not representing any nation but taking up the traditional mantle of Master of Ceremonies. Basically, he decided when the coupling ceremony was over and the others could leave. This could happen at any time, but usually not until the newlyweds had worn each other out.

[explicit sexual content removed, PM author for link to unabridged version]

Katara desperately looked at Iroh again, mentally begging him to please, please look away so that she could go! It wasn't as if Aang or Jet were aware of the proceedings; they were too busy giving each other looks that were as intense as the one Zuko had given Sokka in the temple! Another loud cry from the bed made her eyes rivet back, and even though she did not want to, she stood transfixed.


	6. Chapter 6

Sokka had no idea how much time had passed when he finally felt the furious hunger inside him abate enough to let him think. He lay on his back, aching in places he didn't know could ache and sore in places he had never been sore before. Zuko lay beside him, panting and gasping for breath. They were alone in the room, but he had no idea how long ago the witnesses had left.

"Wow" he managed once he had caught his breath. "That was awesome."  
"You can say that again." Zuko said breathlessly.

"That was awesome." he repeated obediently, and felt a thrill of pleasure as Zuko laughed.

Then Sokka remembered something, and rolled over to his side to get a good look at the man who was… What, his husband? Was that the correct title? He didn't realise he had asked the question out loud until Zuko turned his head to look at him.

"Yes, it is" he said, and there was a look in his eyes Sokka was almost tempted to think of as fond.

"Okay then" Sokka said, "husband. There is something I would like to know."

"If it's how your come tastes, you already know. You ate me out. Twice." Amazing how he could still blush considering the acts they'd performed on and with each other.

"Make that two things." he amended. Zuko's only reply was a raised eyebrow.

"First, what the hell was in that goblet? And two: What the hell did Iroh mean by claiming that you'll die without me?"

"Well" Zuko drew out the word as if buying time, "the goblet contained a potion that increases sexual urges, obviously. Otherwise we wouldn't have spent the entire afternoon, evening and most of the night screwing each other's brains out." He nodded towards the open window, where a cool night breeze blew in from a sky filled to the rim with stars.

"And the second?" Sokka asked, anticipating the answer.

There was silence. Zuko's gaze flickered around the room as if he was trying his damnedest to avoid looking at him. Finally, Sokka had enough and gripped Zuko around the chin, forcing the fire bender to turn his face towards him.

"Tell me" he ordered. Zuko drew a deep, shuddering breath. Then he spoke, and his voice was low, hoarse, almost… scared.

"I suffer from a condition called the Ner Tamid. It affects the most powerful firebenders of our nation. No one knows why. The condition causes our inner flame, the source of our power, to burn so intensely that no matter how much control we exercise over it it still threatens to burn us alive from within." He stopped to wet his lips and Sokka could not resist asking;

"What does this have to do with me?" Zuko closed his eyes, laying very still and quiet for a moment before continuing.

"It was discovered about five hundred years ago that the touch of another, who is referred to as _nichoach_ , cools the afflicted fire bender down to manageable temperatures. There is only ever one person for each sufferer from the Ner Tamid."

Zuko didn't dare to open his eyes, waiting for whatever reaction Sokka would have. It didn't come. He felt a tremble run through him, but not from pleasure like when Sokka's mouth had been on him even as his fingers pressed deep inside. No, this tremble came from dread. Dread at rejection, condemnation, or something else. He did not know. Finally, Sokka spoke in a voice tinged with anger.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me in the first place, you idiot? It would have saved us all one hell of a headache!" Zuko's eyes snapped open.

"What do you mean?" Sokka's outburst made no sense whatsoever in his mind.

"All this… this bargaining with Katara, threatening her! If you had just said that you needed my touch to control your disease, I would have married you on the spot!" Sokka was sitting up now, his face red with indignation.

"You would have?" Zuko asked, bewildered. Sokka stared at him for a long moment, then it was as if his anger drained out of him and he sighed deeply.

"We need to work on your self confidence." He muttered as he slung one of his legs over Zuko's, pushing their bodies together in a delightful way.

"There is something else I need to tell you" Zuko said nervously, feeling his mind starting to glaze over from the feel of Sokka's cool skin, his searching hands…

"Mmmm?" Sokka murmured against his neck.

"I'm in love with you" he breathed into the fragrant night air.

Sokka laid very still for a moment. Then he raised his head, looking straight into his eyes.

"I can't say it back" he said, and Zuko's heart stopped for a moment. "Not yet. But I'm well on my way. Soon. Just… be patient with me?"

Sokka's gaze was pleading and Zuko found that he was ready to pull down the stars just from looking into those eyes.

He pulled his husband down for a kiss, feeling pleasantly cool just from his proximity.

Soon, Sokka had promised.

He could wait.

* * *

Katara wrung her hands nervously as she waited in the courtyard outside the temple where Sokka and Zuko had lain in their coupling bed. Her teeth kept worrying her lower lip, which was swollen and sore and would probably start bleeding any minute. Iroh had said that no one was permitted to enter before one or both of the new lovers opened the doors, and for the last hour she had been pacing and wringing and worrying and trying to look like she wasn't one startle away from full-blown panic. She had a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach that she wasn't fooling anyone.

Aang and Toph weren't exactly helpful, either. Toph was eating an apple like she didn't have a care in the world and Aang seemed to be in a world of his own, grinning like a loon and squirming every now and then. Katara had it on the tip of her tongue to ask when she could expect to attend _his_ coupling ceremony, but she didn't know if the air or earth nations held with such things. Perhaps it was only fire nation.

Just as she was about to turn on her heel and stalk back across the courtyard for the umpteenth time - she hadn't been counting - the ornate oaken doors opened to reveal…

Katara sighed in relief. It was Sokka, dressed in an oversized shirt she recognised as the one Zuko had worn at the temple ceremony the previous day. She pouted at the servant who had managed to beat her to her brother, for this meant that she had to wait until he had finished ordering breakfast before she could accost him.

Finally, the servant left and Katara wasted no time.

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to make her hands stop wringing. Sokka placed his own warm, comforting hands over hers and the soothing feel of his touch made her own hands calm and still.

"I'm fine, Kat." he said gently. Then he smiled, like the sun shining on freshly frozen water.

"In fact, I am feeling rather wonderful."

And the light in his eyes assured her that he did.


End file.
